Swing Clubs - Why NCSF Matters to You!

A letter from NCSF to the swing club community explaining why NCSF is important to your issues, and how we are furthering those goals. Written and signed by NCSF Board member Doug Wilson.

April 27, 2007

Dear Club Owners,

I am writing to you on behalf of the lifestyle organizations and businesses affiliated with the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF). I am writing to urge you to join the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF). Here’s why.

The last decade has brought about some major changes in society. The Internet has made access to all alternative lifestyles, including the swing lifestyle and its venues much easier and the numbers of participants has been growing steadily. Our lifestyle is emerging into the public consciousness. How we are perceived during this critical time will affect how the public in general, and legislatures and law enforcement in particular, relate to us for a long time. We need the kind of professional advocacy that NCSF can provide. And if we don’t have it, we will continue to be at risk.

Local authorities. We need NCSF because there are still very negative attitudes towards us by local authorities in many communities around the country. Occasionally participants, club owners, managers, etc… are arrested and their names are put in the paper, and their careers and personal lives are ruined. One of the things NCSF does best is to approach such communities proactively, when trouble is coming but before it has arrived, to persuade the authorities that their actions are either improper or overzealous. NCSF also helps in dealing with the aftermath of such situations.

Legislatures. The FCC has raised fines for violations of its decency code, and we’ve all read about the huge fines imposed on Howard Stern and on the broadcasters of Janet Jackson’s “costume failure.” The “Phoenix ordinance” which would prohibit any on-premise sexual activity is still circulating in various cities, and is a potential threat wherever people share sex, even in private residences. Proposals for tightening “lewd and lascivious” laws are another threat. It will be difficult to predict all of the threats that will come at us, but the odds are there will be some major ones. Whether in a city council, a government agency, a state legislature, or the Congress of the United States, NCSF needs to be there advocating for the interests of alternative lifestyles.

National image. In recent years, television especially and movies to a lesser extent are depicting aspects of our lifestyle more frequently, and less disparagingly. The Oprah show in which Oprah interviewed a number of swingers was almost effusively supportive. That’s good. But we are now in a season of social conservatism, and for the time being the political pendulum is swinging right. To stay several steps ahead of that trend, we need to keep our positive side facing the public in the best light possible, as our gay & lesbian allies did for the last 30 years to good effect. Just as the lives of millions of gays & lesbians were made better by their advocacy, many millions of people who secretly want sexual sharing in their lives can be helped to that goal by strong image-building, explaining our values and raising the dignity of our lifestyle in the public eye. NCSF can help do that.

Why you? You may think that your legal situation is solid and you’re not all that evangelistic about promoting the image of our lifestyle. First, never underestimate the commitment of our opponents to do us harm, and to show up when we least expect it. Second, raising the image of the lifestyle in the public eye is just good business. If you’re a commercial club, NCSF’s efforts will help bring more people to your door. If you’re a member-based group more interested in meeting new people, NCSF will help open the minds of millions.

The need. NCSF is TINY compared to the ACLU or the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. It generates revenue through memberships and donations but it takes a lot more than it has to create the strong resource base it needs to do the job. Joining is just the first step. We want every supporting organization to commit to encouraging its members to join as individuals. Only with that kind of broad support can NCSF have the resources to do its best work.

Two levels of participation. NCSF is governed by voting members known as Coalition Partners. NCSF started as a coalition of non-profit groups and continues this model with strong Coalition Partner involvement as well as an active Board of Directors. Or, you can be a Supporting Member and participate at whatever level works for your organization or business. Resources generated by Supporting Members are as every bit as important as the work of the Coalition Partners.

Call Doug at to learn more, or JOIN NOW by going to the website, at www.ncsfreedom.org, selection “Join” and then selecting the type of membership you want to apply for.

The work of NCSF is important. It’s going to make a difference for all of us. Be a part of it.

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Consent Counts: We're Making a Difference

Completed Federal and State Legal Research

Developed Educational Programs and Outreach Materials

Built Alliances With Sexual Freedom Advocacy Groups

About Consent Counts

NCSF is leading a major national campaign—Consent Counts—to change the laws and police practices that our communities now endure, and to establish that consent is available as a defense in criminal BDSM prosecutions.

BDSM is prosecuted as assault in the U.S., even when it is consensual.

No state or appellate court has allowed consent as a defense to assault in BDSM cases.

Consent Counts is a nationwide project to decriminalize consensual BDSM.

Program Goals:Consent Counts is a nationwide project to decriminalize consensual BDSM through education, advocacy, legal actions and lobbying.